Dream Lover
'I knew I shouldn't have listened to Naruto when he said he knew the way back home,' Sasuke thought with annoyance as he looked up at the velvety blue sky through the canopy of trees.
The two boys had walked all day with Naruto, declaring with confidence that he could get them back to Konoha before sunset, leading the way. The sun had set an hour before…and they were no where near Konoha. And so, the irritated Sasuke and the apologetic Naruto were forced to spend the night in a small clearing in a forest that neither of them could identify.
Sasuke looked across the small camp fire that he had produced in order to keep them both from freezing to death. Naruto was leaned against the trunk of a tall tree, reading a magazine that he had brought along for his excursion: Bitch. His tongue was against the side of his left cheek and a look of intense concentration was on his face.
"What, having trouble sounding out a word in your gay magazine?" Sasuke scoffed.
Naruto looked up from the article he was reading and frowned. "For your information," he said matter-of-factly, "it's a lesbian magazine and I can read it just fine."
"Damn, you're queerer than I thought," Sasuke said with disgust.
Naruto shrugged and went back to reading the article on fifty great sex tips. Sasuke stared at him for a moment, appalled, before looking back up at the patches of the deep, midnight blue sky. He was used to spending the night in the forest, but when he had the entire Team Seven was with him. Now it was just him and Naruto…alone.
'Now that I think about it…he and I have been through a lot together.'
Sasuke blinked as the memories began flooding his brain: the tree exercises, the name-calling, the Chuunin exam, the meeting with the transformed Gaara, and of course, the more romantic events. The feeling of being alone together, the incident with Haku where Sasuke nearly died in Naruto's arms and…the kiss.
'Well, people do say that you'll never forget your first kiss,' Sasuke thought, remembering the soft feeling of the other boy's lips and the light taste of beef ramen on his breath. He grimaced at these thoughts and shook his head. 'Eww, I'm making it seem like I actually enjoyed it.'
He jumped as Naruto slapped his magazine shut and looked at the other boy longingly. "Hey…can I ask you something?"
Sasuke frowned. 'Oh god, please say he won't ask about the kiss,' he pleaded silently.
"Was I a good kisser?"
Sasuke's heart plummeted. "Oh…um…"
Naruto leaned forward eagerly. "You-you know what I'm talking about, right? That time when we were twelve-"
Sasuke raised his hand to stop him. "Yes, yes, I know," he said exasperatedly. "That was, unfortunately, my first kiss."
Naruto cocked his head. "Wow, are you serious? 'Cause, you know, I thought you might've had some practice 'cause you were really good at it-"
"Naruto…our lips touched for about two seconds."
The blonde shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, but I was so nervous. I swear my heart almost ripped out of my chest."
Sasuke looked away from him. The truth was, his heart beat and pulse were on overdrive when their lips met for that brief moment, too. And (though it sickened him to think that this actually happened)…there was a bit of a malfunction in the front of his pants.
Sasuke grimaced and looked back at Naruto. 'I still can't believe Naruto of all people gave me a boner. But it was totally incidental; I know it. My body was still getting used to the hormone shit. Mom always said I was a late bloomer anyways.'
Naruto traced his finger in the dirt. "Hey Sasuke, so many girls like you, but how come you don't like them?"
Sasuke clicked his tongue. "That's easy: they're flat-chested, big-assed, obsessive ditzes, all of whom have I.Q.'s five points below that of butter." He picked at his fingernail. "Why did you like Sakura so much?"
He could see Naruto flush across the fire. "You really wanna know?"
"If I didn't, why would I be asking?"
Naruto sighed. "Well, it was to try and get my mind off…you." Before Sasuke could interrupt, he continued. "I thought that if I focused on someone else, like a girl, I wouldn't think about you so much and get my heart broken."
Sasuke felt his stomach do cartwheels. No one, not even his fan club back in Konoha, had said something like that to him, something with depth and meaning and not just "Homigawd! You're so hawt! Let me in your pants!".
"Do you honestly care that much about me?"
Naruto grinned. "What do you think?"
Sasuke's hands began to sweat and the familiar feeling of exhilaration began coursing through his body. This couldn't be…it just wasn't possible…
'Am I beginning to love Naruto!'
He gritted his teeth together and tried to put a stop to the swooping and twirling motions that his lower region was putting on. No, it wasn't love, it was just nervousness…
'Nervousness from what though?'
Sasuke groaned and buried his face in his hands. Naruto's brows furrowed together and he gave the other boy a look of concern.
"Neh, what's wrong with you?"
Sasuke didn't answer. 'You're falling for him, you know it,' his mind chided. Enough with denial; tell him!'
"No!" He yelled out loud.
Naruto backed away against the trunk of the tree, frightened by Sasuke's sudden outburst. "Wh-what? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Sasuke raised his head and glared at him. "I'm not falling in love with you!"
Naruto's face turned crimson. "Wh-what-"
The next thing he knew, Sasuke had sprung over the fire and straddled him, a look of such intensity in his eyes that had never been seen before. Sasuke squinted and caressed Naruto's cheek lightly, causing the blonde to whimper quietly.
"I'm not falling in love with you," Sasuke whispered, leaning so close to Naruto that he could feel his soft, warm breath on his lips.
Naruto smiled. "Yes you are. Stop denying it."
Sasuke returned the smile and leaned ever closer. "I can't help it."
Their lips met for a second time, but the kiss was longer than two seconds…
It lasted the entire night.
